Turkey and Egypt Appoint Ambassadors, Breaking Decade-Long Rift

Egypt’s Sisi and Turkey’s Erdogan shake hands during FIFA World Cup 2022
Photo credit: Al-Monitor

Egypt and Turkey have restored full diplomatic ties by appointing ambassadors to each other’s missions in Ankara and Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

“This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work towards enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples,” the statement reads.

The announcement comes following an agreement made by presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi late in May to elevate diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors.

According to the ministry’s statement, Amr Elhamamy was appointed as Egypt’s ambassador in Ankara, and Salih Mutlu Şen was appointed Turkey’s ambassador in Cairo.

Turkey and Egypt have not had high level relations since 2013, after Egypt accused Turkey of backing terrorist organizations and expelled the Turkish ambassador.

Foreign Ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began consultations in 2021, as Turkey sought to improve ties with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Israel—in line with the general reconciliatory direction the region has taken in recent years.

In November 2022, Turkey’s Erdogan shook hands with his Egyptian counterpart, on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Earlier this year, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu established a timeframe for improving diplomatic ties.

Subscribe to the Egyptian Streets’ weekly newsletter! Catch up on the latest news, arts & culture headlines, exclusive features and more stories that matter, delivered straight to your inbox by clicking here.